BYU’s place in the Big 12 basketball picture has taken on a new tone this offseason, and national voices are starting to match the sentiment in Provo.
CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein said this week that “anything less than a trip to the Elite Eight feels like it will be a disappointment” for BYU in 2025, a bold but telling statement about the trajectory of Kevin Young’s program.
In just its second season as a member of the Big 12, BYU is being talked about as a team that should not only make the NCAA Tournament but also contend deep into March. That conversation would have sounded unrealistic two years ago, but a combination of proven veteran leadership, elite recruiting wins, and momentum from a Sweet 16 appearance last season has changed the outlook completely.
Young’s team will feature several impact players in 2025-26, including former McDonald’s All-American AJ Dybantsa, Baylor transfer Rob Wright, and returner Richie Saunders. That core gives BYU a roster loaded with size, length, and backcourt depth, all critical ingredients for a tournament run in college basketball’s deepest league.
The implications for the Big 12 are significant. If BYU becomes a reliable contender, it adds another legitimate threat to a conference already stacked with bluebloods and rising programs. It also pushes recruiting competition into new geographic territory, giving BYU a national presence few expected this early in its Big 12 tenure.
Rothstein’s comment doesn’t feel like hyperbole as much as it reflects the growing expectations around BYU. In a league where only the elite survive, the Cougars are trying to prove they belong near the top.
